Title

Author

Date of Award

2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

First Advisor

Ilcan, Suzan (Sociology & Anthropology)

Keywords

Public and Social Welfare.

Rights

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Abstract

Participation in development is advocated for various noble reasons and is often permeated with lofty sentiments of "empowerment" and "ownership". At its most basic, the concept describes the engagement of socially and economically marginalized peoples in decision-making over their own lives (see Guijt and Shah, 1998: 1). However, despite such claims of 'good' development, a number of scholars have written substantial critiques of participation. Drawing upon the framework of governmentality, in combination with a brief discussion of post-colonialism, this thesis argues that, with the associated hierarchies of developed and developing, donor and recipient, and so forth, the practices of participation in development serve to legitimize development interventions and govern the conduct of particular groups of people. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, archival information and organizational documents, this study provides a critical assessment of participation in development thinking and practice from a Caribbean perspective.